Five awesome highlights of C2E2

Conventions catering to sci-fi, fantasy and superhero fans are always rife with cosplay—that is, “costume play,” or dressing up in character. That means your kids are liable to run into real-life depictions of Spidey or Batgirl (probably multiples of them) just strolling around McCormick Place, which is cool. What’s even better? When the adorable tykes themselves are the ones suited up. There’s a kids’ costume contest both Saturday (1:30-2:30 p.m.) and Sunday (12:15-1:30 p.m.); mini Iron Men and Wonder Women 12 and under should arrive at least half an hour early to register.

Artists!

All weekend long, you can wander Artist Alley to find super-talented illustrators, from the famous to the undiscovered, selling original pages from well-known comic books and other art. Some will do quick sketches for free; some charge. For something more structured, catch the “DC Comics: Art Masters” panel Sunday (2:30-3:30 p.m.), which features the wide-ranging art styles of talents including Mark Chiarello, Nicola Scott, and the dynamic duo behind several award-winning all-ages comics, Art Baltazar and Franco. Aw yeah, good times!

Quidditch!

The International Quidditch Association (yes, that’s seriously a thing) returns to C2E2 to host “How to Play Quidditch 101” on Saturday (11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.), which includes demos and open play of Harry Potter’s cricket. That class is open to adults; for a kids-only quidditch, go Sunday (3-5 p.m.), where the training and games will be focused exclusively on young wizards.

Martial Arts!

If you’ve got a burgeoning Bruce Lee in your household, don’t miss the “Martial Arts with Power Ranger Steve Cardenas” session Sunday (10-11 a.m.). The actor played Rocky DeSantos, a.k.a. the Red Ranger—a pop-culture reference that will delight some parents but stump the kids. Cardenas leads a martial-arts class in the “Family HQ” area for 12 and under.

YA Lit!

This one’s for the junior- and high-school set: A panel called “In Defense of YA” (Saturday, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.) goes in depth about the popularity of YA (young adult) novels. Five published YA authors lead the charge, handing their fans some talking points about defending their geek-tastic passion when the jocks mock it.